A pretrial detention hearing for the alleged ringleader of a domestic bank-account mule recruitment ring that sent the Korean college student killed by a Cambodia voice phishing organization to the country was held on the 19th. A decision on whether to detain could come as early as this afternoon.
Senior Judge Son Yeong-eon of the Daegu District Court Andong Branch began the warrant review at 11 a.m. for A, in their 20s, who is accused of being directly involved in the departure of the deceased college student, a person surnamed Park, 22, on charges including violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Prevention of Telecommunications-based Financial Fraud and Refund of Damages.
A is accused of being introduced to Park, an acquaintance, by Hong, in their 20s, a detained and indicted broker for bank-account mules, in July, having an account opened under Park's name, and then having Park depart for Cambodia.
Earlier, Park left for Cambodia on July 17 on the instructions of Hong's organization and was found dead three weeks later, on Aug. 8, inside a car near Bokor Mountain in Kampot Province.
Police, who arrested Hong in early September, are said to have tracked the flow of funds in accounts under Park's name and communication records, and have been investigating those involved in the organization. Hong was confirmed to have attended the same university as Park. Hong has been put on trial on charges including violating the Electronic Financial Transactions Act.
Park's body is currently enshrined at Teuk Thla Pagoda in Cambodia, and after consultations between the two countries, an autopsy is expected to be conducted locally in the presence of a joint government response team from Korea, after which the remains will be repatriated to Korea.